In Fair Verona
by totaldile
Summary: The feud between the Minamis and Sonodas has lasted for generations, and is strongly felt by the heirs to each family, Kotori Minami and Umi Sonoda. Seeking an escape from the stress of their family lives, two heirs meet under a bridge at sundown. A Romeo and Juliet AU with a happy ending, inspired by Baz Luhrmann's Romeo Juliet. KotoUmi, NozoEli, Nicomaki, and RinPana.
1. Promised

_Two households, both alike in dignity,_  
 _In fair Verona where we lay our scene,_  
 _From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,_  
 _Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._

There was a suffocating smell to the house as Maki stepped inside, all must and rot. She tried not to think too hard about the wooden floorboards that caved under her feet. It was a little dark – the house was abandoned, probably, which explained the boards over the windows – but light came in streams through the cracks in the walls, just enough to see. She tried not to feel repulsed by the peeling wallpaper but – the redhead flinched at the sight of something dead and human.

Maki had seen more dead bodies than most teenagers, but even she felt a little repulsed at the state of Nakazawa's corpse. There was something awfully eerie about the way his skull had just caved in on itself. Blunt weapons, contrary to popular opinion, left the most horrifying of wounds. Blood and flesh was normal, but seeing bones bent in ways they were never supposed to have been, seeing ribcages and limbs crushed was enough to make anyone's stomach lurch.

However, she had a job, and it involved such things. She'd get over it eventually, her mother had assured her. At least she wasn't afraid of blood. That would have presented a much bigger problem.

"Maki, pay attention to how I wrap this wound," her mother called, and the redhead tottered over to crouch down beside their surviving patient. The girl in question wasn't injured particularly badly, but a gash running the length of her right arm begged medical treatment. Maki didn't know her name, had never seen her before now.

"What's your name?" the redhead called softly, prompting the black-haired patient to shift to look at her. Maki's mother hissed as the bandage came loose, and her daughter offered a frown in apology.

"Nico Yazawa," the black-haired girl said, wincing as her bandage was pulled taut.

"Yazawa," Maki echoed as she noted the way her mother tied the bandage. She'd have to remember that one. "I know the Yazawas. You're gophers for the Sonodas, right? How'd you get mixed up in this?"

Nico nodded, flexing her arm and wincing. A glare from Maki's mother sent her withering, however.

"Bad timing, I guess," she said, coolly, and rose to her feet, "I was delivering a monthly to Yoshikawa, and ran into Nakazawa scrapping with a Minami. Didn't expect there to be more of them."

Nico's speech was blunt, and the two of them fell silent. Even the mention of the Minamis was enough to set anyone on edge these days. Minami aggression was at the highest anyone had ever seen since the two families had occupied Otonokizaka. Akiyuki had suggested it was because the heads of each of the two families were growing old, and now was the premier time to gain territory, before the heirs took their places as the new heads.

Maki didn't know much of the heirs. All she knew for sure about the Minami heir was that they were born roughly around the same time as the Sonoda's.

"Yazawa, do you have any other wounds needing treatment?" Maki's mother called, and the redhead snapped out of her daze. She realised she'd been staring vacantly in Nico's direction. How gross.

"I'm fine. Thanks for coming in so suddenly, Nishikino," the black-haired girl said, gently rubbing her wound through the bandage. Maki's mother gave her a brief nod.

"Do you need a lift home, or can you still ride?" she said, tilting her gaze. Nico shook her head.

"Nah, gotta stay here for the cops. Murder's illegal, after all."

Maki resisted the urge to snigger at the irony. As if their entire livelihood wasn't illegal.

Well – Maki and her mother's wasn't. "First-aid", as her father liked to call it, was hardly a crime. The Yazawa and the Sonoda's, on the other hand, made a living on being under the radar. Maybe it wasn't really all that funny, because Nico didn't look any more upbeat that she had when her wound was being wrapped.

That sort of world felt distant to Maki. All she knew was the bloody aftermath. She didn't have much concept of what went on to cause injury after injury, but it kept her and her mother busy. That was all she had to think about. They weren't real doctors, sure – but her grandmother had been, and that was close enough. Her mother had learnt everything from her grandmother, and now she was learning everything from her mother. Maybe they couldn't cure all illnesses, but they could at least patch up a bunch of roughed up kids.

"We've got to go, Maki, the Sonodas will be waiting," her mother called, taking the redhead's wrist and pulling her towards the entrance. Maki spared another glance at Nico Yazawa, noted that she flinched ever so slightly as her mother mentioned that the Sonodas would be waiting. She wondered if Nico felt guilty.

Outside, her father had kept watch the whole time, and as Maki stepped into fresh air, he ruffled her hair. He ushered them into the car, no waiting around.

"Any complications?" he asked, making his way out of the driveway. Maki's mother nodded.

"Nakazawa got jumped by a group of Minami and killed. Yazawa got a nasty gash on her arm, but only minor wounds otherwise," she said, frowning.

Her father sighed, and Maki tuned out as they talked yet again about the Minamis becoming more and more aggressive. At least for now, she had more imminent things to worry, such as her meeting with the Sonoda she'd been promised to – the heir.

It would be the first time a Nishikino married into the main stream of the Sonoda family. Usually it was a member of one of the branch families – Yazawa, Koizumi, Toudou, Kira – but a lack of children being born outside the main family led to slightly more drastic measures. Their marriage was both political and practical – it served to connect their two families, but receiving an income from the Sonodas meant the Nishikinos could operate full-time as medics for the family. In addition, the Sonodas tended to be well-trained in defensive arts, which meant extra protection for the oh-so-precious Nishikino family.

Maki disliked being treated as a princess to be protected, but she couldn't exactly escape what she'd been born into. At the very least, having someone to watch her back wasn't a bad thing.

Thinking that way didn't stop the unease in her stomach as she straightened up though, attempting to prepare herself to meet her promised partner. She'd known such a day would come, but foreknowledge didn't make it any easier to swallow. It just would have been nice to have had some choice, some agency in the matter.

"Maki, we're here," her father called, opening the car door for her, and gesturing for her to step out. The redhead let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Maki never been invited to the home of the Sonodas before – not many were. Its location wasn't exactly a secret, but actually getting to see the inside was quite the privilege. Still, she'd been expecting something more extravagant. Not that she had the right to expect anything, but – well. It wasn't as if it wasn't a large house, or relatively well-presented, either, she supposed. She shivered at the realisation that one day, this would be her home too. Maki didn't know exactly how she felt about that. Following her parents, the redhead tiptoed down the path to the front door. She wondered, briefly, if she could delay the inevitable by walking slower, taking into the garden ornaments strewn about the lawn. It was a little longer than she'd thought, perhaps, but – then the path came to an end and Maki was standing behind her parents at the front door of the Sonoda household and – oh god.

Her father knocked twice, paused, knocked a third time. Maki wondered if there was any significance to the pattern, but then the door opened and the thought died. A housemaid held the door, ushering the three inside and shutting it behind them.

"The Head is waiting for you upstairs with the Heir," the housemaid said, dipping her head slightly. "Please, follow me."

Maki was almost surprised, but caught herself before it could show on her face – of course they'd been expecting them. There was just something about the way the maid acted that set her a little on edge. She was being treated like an honoured guest, but – but it felt foreign, as if she were stepping into enemy territory. Perhaps it was the opposite, but the way the maid kept her distance made Maki a little uncomfortable.

Still, she had bigger things to worry about – such as how she was going to present herself to the Head and the Heir. She'd only seen the Head a few times before, once as a small child at an anniversary celebration, once at a funeral when she was a little older, and once when he'd visited her home personally to receive care for a persistent wound. The Heir she'd never seen before – all she knew was that the Heir was a girl. It didn't bother her, but even if it did, Maki doubted it would have made a difference. She had an obligation, and she had to fulfill it. That was it.

The inside of the Sonoda home was strikingly Victorian in decoration – elegant wooden rails lining the stairs as they followed the maid, patterned rugs on wooden floors and magnificent chandeliers in each room. It felt almost dull, even if the redhead was well aware of how lavish the interior was. It was just a little lacking in life.

As much as Maki would have liked the hallway to continue on forever, it didn't, and she was led into an open room with a burning fireplace and glass doors opening to a balcony. Two people sat on a couch in the center of the room, the couch cream and patterned with a curved headrest. A similar couch sat opposite, separated by a glass table. At their entrance, the two stood and bowed. The redhead recognised the man as the Head – a clean-shaven face and dark black hair tied back in a ponytail – which meant the girl standing beside him was the Heir. Maki let out a breath – at least she wasn't unattractive. Blue hair down to her waist, amber eyes that sized the redhead up as she did the same, and a face full of features that were probably softer than her hard expression gave away.

"Thank you, Toudou, Nishikino, young Maki, for coming here today. Please," the maid gestured to the couch opposite, "take a seat."

Maki followed her parents, sat facing the girl, the Heir who wouldn't quite meet her eyes now. She didn't quite know what to make of it. The maid poured her a cup of tea, and Maki sipped at it gingerly. It was green tea, but pleasant. She figured it must have been an expensive blend.

"It's been too long, Tatsuya," the Head continued, chuckling as he dropped the formalities. "And you're looking as beautiful as ever, Mrs Nishikino."

"You flatter me," Maki's mother replied, returning his smile evenly. The redhead stole a glance as her mother's expression, but she found nothing but warmth in her gaze.

"It has been too long, Daikichi," her father acknowledged, taking a sip from his tea.

"And young Maki has grown into herself. What a stunning young girl she's grown into," the Head said, nodding at Maki. She returned the gesture, feeling heat in her cheeks but not speaking. She hadn't been directly addressed; it wasn't her place.

"Now, allow me to introduce to you my daughter and heir – Umi Sonoda," the man continued, gesturing towards the girl of blue. Umi herself stood, bowed. The words 'well-trained' rose to the back of Maki's mind, as much as she despised the thought.

"It's an honour to meet you, Miss Nishikino," Umi said, looking directly at her this time with that same, unfaltering expression. Maki rose to her feet, face still a little hot, and bowed back. Etiquette, etiquette also she was sure she'd already made several mistakes.

"N-no, the pleasure is all mine," she said, averting her eyes. If she'd displeased the Heir by doing so, Umi didn't show it, and Maki sat back down again, wondering if she was walking on eggshells. She shuddered, involuntarily, as the Head began to speak again, tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. His voice had a sort of smooth quality to it – deep and relaxing, in a way. Maki wondered if Umi's voice shared the same qualities. She tried to trace the girl's face, watching for any falter of expression or twitch, but there was nothing to glean.

"Now, Umi, why don't you take Maki out to the balcony so you two can get to know each other?" Maki suddenly tuned in as the Head called her name, watched as Umi stood up and offered her a hand. The redhead took it. "We'll just be discussing the finer details of your engagement in here."

The blue-haired girl led her charge outside, and leant on the railing of the balcony. Maki shivered as the breeze brushed against her bare arms – the sun was setting, and it'd gotten a little chilly. Still, she appreciated the cool air. It was refreshing, after the stifling, suffocating warmth of the Sonoda home.

"Are you cold?" Umi asked, shrugging her jacket off of her shoulders. The red head looked away.

"Not really," Maki replied coolly. Umi watched her face cautiously, and then wiggled her way back inside the warmth of her jacket. An uneasy silence fell over the two of them as they stood, leaning over the balcony and watching the sunlight vanish below the horizon.

"The sunset is pretty tonight, don't you think?" Umi tried, and well, Maki had to give her full points for trying. She felt a little guilty for not doing the same – the heir was in the same position as her, after all. Maki of all people should know how she felt.

"It is," the redhead nodded, softening her voice. "Your house has an incredible view."

Umi's features relaxed, and Maki let her shoulders slack a little as she caught a smile from the heir.

"It does indeed," the blue-haired girl said, blinking slowly.

"You know," Maki said, and paused, but – she'd already started saying something so she may as well finish it. "I hope you don't take this as an insult, but I'd kind of hoped to have some agency when it came to who I'd marry."

Maki's skin crawled as the girl beside her fell silent, staring out into the setting sun with purpose in her amber eyes. Had she said the wrong thing? Was Umi upset with her after all? The redhead cursed her informality. What a stupid, stupid thing to say –

"I know what you mean," the blue-haired girl said, breaking the silence and Maki's internal panic. She rested her chin in her hand, turned her head to look at the redhead and smile. "We were both born into lives without many choices. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like had I not been born a Sonoda."

Umi turned back to watch the sunset, and exhaled.

"But, you know," she said, and smiled again. "You're not an unpleasant person, Miss Nishikino, and I'd like to do the best I can for my family. So, even if we're not lovers in the true sense of the word, if there's anything I can do for you, I'd like to."

Looking at the girl opposite, bathed in the light of the sunset, Maki noticed she was just a few centimetres taller than Umi Sonoda. She didn't miss the way the girl's smile wavered, just a little, as she spoke. Perhaps, Maki noted, her poker face wasn't as good as initially thought. Then again, that was just another way in which they were similar. She couldn't say she didn't feel the same – willing to do the best she could for her family, and not at all displeased with her promised person, but yet – still not entirely content.

"Well," Maki said, staring into the setting sun, "I'd prefer it if you could call me Maki, rather than Miss Nishikino. We are promised, after all."

Umi smiled again – and this time, she was convinced it was real.

"Then, if you'd call me Umi in return, I'd be happy to do so."

It wasn't a perfect arrangement, but – it wasn't the worst thing in the world.


	2. Sketchpad

**A/N:** **Thanks everyone for all your kind reviews ^^;;. I won't be responding to them all invidiually because that bumps up the word count dishonestly, but I seriously appreciate them! If you have any questions, of course, I'll answer them here too.**

 **I didn't mean for it to take this long, but I'm bad at being consistent. Sorry =w=;;. Well, I hope you enjoy. Writing dialogue that fits into the flow of the story naturally is...hard.**

* * *

Eli winced as the breeze brushed against her cheek – it was still raw and red, much like a sunburn, and if she changed expression too quickly, it stung. Still, Honoka had insisted the blonde show her immediately after her plastic wrap was removed, so how could she say no? Nozomi, on the other hand, hadn't shown any interest at all, keeping that scarily calm and even expression even when Eli had first come home with her face wrapped. The blonde shivered at the thought.

It wasn't unpleasant, though, the blonde mused, even as she had to pull her jacket tighter to huddle herself against the wind. Leather was a wind-breaker, but it did nothing to fight the chill. Still, the enticing aroma of freshly-baked bread was well enough to draw her past the rows of dreary houses and towards the back of the bakery. There was something about it – perhaps it was the sakura trees – that made it seem so nostalgic. Then again, she'd spent a lot of time here in the past, so maybe it was that.

Behind the bakery was a small courtyard paved in concrete where the unsold bread would be disposed of, as well as other trash. Today, like most days, Honoka Kousaka stood out the back, distributing the unsold bread between the two clusters of people gathered there. Closer to Eli stood those allied with the Minami, whilst to their left stood a bunch of Sonodas. There was always a tension in the air when both groups showed up for free food in the air, but any sign of aggression was quickly snuffed out by a superior. There was a time and place for a fight, and that place was anywhere near the Homura Bakery.

Eli didn't quite know what she'd have done without the generous givings of the Kousakas, and she knew there were many – Minami and Sonoda alike – who felt the same. It was probably the only no-man's land in all of Otonokizaka.

The blonde wondered if it were because of this that Honoka could smile so brightly at each of them as she passed out even portions, or if it really was just the girl's natural persona. Either way, it was practically impossible to be anywhere near the bakery without feeling just a little uplifted. It was the shiny ray of hope in the lives of tens of hungry youths who'd been born to families they didn't deserve.

"You're being generous again today, Honoka," Eli said as the baker's girl waltzed over to the Minami side. Honoka's face lit up as she realised who'd shown up – and, well, Eli mused, it'd been too long since she'd visited.

"Eli!" Honoka chirped, bounding over as she finished handing out that day's leftovers. "You haven't been here in sooooo long? Oh, and is that –"

Eli nodded, and Honoka gaped.

"It's super pretty! A lily was a really good choice – Kotori has amazing taste, I swear," Honoka started, babbling at the speed of light, almost too fast for the older girl to keep up with. "Didn't it hurt though? Nozomi told me the face was a really sensitive area to get tattooed…"

Eli chuckled at Honoka's uninhibited excitement – true, they were only a year apart in age, but there was something childlike and untarnished about the girl that made Eli feel like they were worlds apart sometimes. If anything, she was glad someone like Honoka hadn't been born into the life she had.

"It – it really, really hurt," Eli admitted, scratching at her neck in an attempt not to itch her tattoo. "It hurt so much that even though it's only a small tattoo, I had to have it split up into two sessions. Nozomi was really mad, too."

"Ooh," Honoka said, her lips twisting into a pout as she crossed her arms. "Didn't she want you to get it done?"

"Well," Eli rubbed the back of her neck, "she found out I was getting a tattoo on my face because of her through Kotori, so she definitely wasn't pleased. She almost kicked me out of the apartment, actually."

Honoka bit her lip. She'd seen an angry Nozomi, and in all honesty Eli had felt a little ashamed. Of all people, Honoka didn't deserve to witness an angry Nozomi. The girl was one of the most kind-hearted Eli had ever met, giving up her time at any point to help the hungry kids of Otonoki, if a little headstrong and daft.

"Kotori put me up for the night, which was good of her, but mm," she continued, wincing. "I haven't shown her yet, so she'll probably be mad I came here first, but she's on the outskirts today for some loser who's trying to do a runner on us. I had nothing to do, so…"

Honoka nodded, a gentle sympathy in the way she smiled back.

"Would you like me to get some of those pastries she likes for you? I can give you a discount, even," Honoka asked, grimacing. Once again, Eli felt the burn of shame rise in her chest.

"I'd appreciate that – but no discounts. You've already done enough for me," she said, ruffling the younger girl's hair as she smiled. Honoka nodded, vanishing back into the bakery and re-emerging a moment later, paper bag in hand with a warm and sweet aroma.

Eli took it gratefully, and said, "You should visit Kotori sometime, it's been a while. She misses you."

Honoka nodded, before grinning, "Ooh, maybe she could design a tattoo for me t– "

The blonde swatted the younger girl with the back of her hand. "Don't even think about it."

Eli giggled as the girl pouted, ruffling her hair again. "As if I'd ever let you get a tattoo."

"Whatever, grandpa," Honoka huffed, folding her arms. Eli put a hand over her heart, feigning offense.

"I'm not _that_ old, you little terror," she said, but halted as she felt the piercing stares of the Sonodas prickle her neck. She took a step back, distancing herself immediately. Even if they were friends – she couldn't get too close. Honoka – and her family – were neutral territory. They couldn't be seen being friendlier with one family than the other. It wasn't that anything would happen to the Kousakas, but it would only serve to increase the tension until something – or someone – broke. The Head had told her to keep antagonism to a minimum after Yuu's run-in with the Sonodas, and Eli had no intention of going against that.

So, instead of a hug, Eli gave Honoka a simple wave as she left the bakery behind.

* * *

There was something about fog that made the world feel so soft, in Kotori's opinion. Hard edges became blurred, sharp points were left out of focus, and details were only apparent if you looked really close. It had a way of making the world looking a different tint – red, blue, yellow, gray – depending on the time of day, the weather, or anything.

The fog, incidentally, also made an excellent cover for sneaking out without being seen.

She'd been to the bridge only earlier today with Takashi, but – she just couldn't focus on drawing whilst someone was watching her. There was something off-putting about having someone silently stare at her while she worked.

No, it was so much easier, so much calmer to press a pencil to her sketchpad when there was nothing but the moisture in the air and the calming grey of the fog around her. The grass was a tad damp as she sat down, but it didn't bother her all that much. She wasn't particularly fond of this dress, anyway. The sunrise gradient was pretty, but she really didn't have the bow to go with it. Having her hair down was irritating to draw with, so she'd settling for simply tying it back.

It wasn't as if anyone she cared about was going to see her anyway – well, aside from the cute duck family she was trying to capture. They were paddling together in the stream passing under the bridge, ducklings trailing behind their mother in a line, yellow and fluffy.

"Quack," Kotori said under her breath, to nobody in particular. A smile crept to her face. They really were adorable.

Suddenly, though, she heard footsteps to her right, and Kotori leapt to her feet – if they'd found out she was missing already, she'd be in massive trouble. On the other hand, the bridge was right on the border of Sonoda territory, so if by chance she encountered one, she'd almost certainly be in danger.

"I didn't mean to scare you," came well-spoken words in a hesitant tone. "I was just coming to feed the ducks."

A girl with long blue hair and strikingly golden eyes emerged from the fog, a bag of bread in her hand. Kotori watched her cautiously, trying to decide if the girl was a threat. After a moment, though, she relaxed. She'd never seen the girl before, but she didn't seem to be hostile. She was probably just a branch member of the Minamis.

"That's okay," Kotori replied, sitting back down. "You just spooked me a little. I didn't expect anyone else to come here."

The girl with the blue hair chuckled, walking down to the water's edge.

"Nor did I expect to find anyone," she said, opening the bag and tearing off a tiny piece of bread. "It's not unpleasant, though."

Kotori watched the girl as she tossed out another piece of breads towards the ducks. They quacked in delight, the little ones frothing up the surface of the water with frenzied legs as they fought for the biggest piece. Then, those golden eyes glanced back in her direction.

"Would you like to feed them too?" she asked, holding out the bag. Kotori paused for a moment, then smiled, moving to crouch down beside the girl with the blue hair.

"My name is Umi, by the way," the girl said, gazing at the ducks with a sort of tenderness in her eyes Kotori had only seen in the way Eli and Nozomi looked at each other.

"Kotori," she murmured, tracing the girl's rather exposed collarbone, and the way her bony shoulders moved as she breathed.

"No wonder you like the ducklings, then," Umi said, and Kotori almost flinched for a moment as the girl's smile trained on her because – well.

"It'd be nice to be as cute as they are," the taupe-haired said, reaching into the bag and tossing another piece of bread towards the ducks.

"What? You're easily just as cute," the blue-haired girl rebutted, looking almost offended, stepping back as if in confusion.

"You think I'm cute?" Kotori tilted her head, wearing a pondering expression. In an instant, Umi's cheeks flushed, and the girl turned her head away, suddenly fixated very strongly on the duck in front of her.

"No – I mean, yes, but , well – mm," she started, but Kotori cut her off with a giggle.

"You're very sweet," she said, her lips curving into a smile. She could have sworn she saw Umi stare for just a moment at her dimples before the girl changed the subject.

"I-ignoring that, why did you come here?" the blue-haired girl asked. "Just to watch the ducks, or?"

Kotori shook her head and said, "I came here to draw. I mainly design things from scratch, but sometimes I do still-life or scenes. I've been waiting to draw this little duck family for a while now."

Umi looked genuinely impressed, and Kotori suddenly had to try very hard to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks.

"That's incredible," she said as she turned to face the other girl, her voice soft and awed. "May I see some of your work, if it's not too trouble?"

Kotori bit her lip, but nodded yes, and scrambled up the bank to reach her bag and abandoned sketchpad, but stopped as she felt a large, wet droplet splatter splatter on her outstretched hand.

"It's going to rain," she said, turning back to the blue-haired girl with a sad expression. "I don't want to get my sketchpad wet, sorry."

Umi shook her head, and said, "Not at all – I understand. I should return home, then."

The girl offered a quick bow, and a pleasant smile. "It was lovely to meet you, Kotori."

Before the girl could turn and walk away, however, Kotori called out to her.

"Could we – " she paused, exhaled, " – exchange phone numbers? I'd like to see you again."

Umi looked surprised for a breath of a second, and then gave that same incredible smile.

"Of course."


	3. Agape

**this wasn't meant to take 2 weeks. oop lol**

 **anyway as usual, thank you all very much for your reviews! they mean the world to me, seriously. have some rinpana and nozoeli for the soul**

* * *

Of all the things Nico Yazawa loved to see, the thing that she loved most was seeing her younger sister smile.

The night was chilly again, and her arm ached from driving, but seeing a big, big grin spread across Kayo's face was worth it every time. She couldn't help but mirror that expression as she watched Rin and her sister embrace, arms wrapped tightly around each other as if it'd be the last time they'd ever see each other. Not that it would be – Nico had already sworn long ago she'd never let that happen.

If the Sonodas found out, well – she didn't want to think about that. Letting Kayo see Rin was conspiring with the enemy, so naturally if they were discovered it would lead to dire, dire consequences. Maybe she'd lose her job, and her bike. Maybe she'd get kicked out of the gang. Maybe worse. Nico had run over every scenario in her head a thousand times, but – seeing just how happy the two of them were made it worth the risk.

They'd always taken precautions – meeting at night only, near enough the bakery not to raise suspicion but far enough so that they wouldn't been seen. It was a precarious arrangement, but it worked. As far as she knew, they'd never been caught.

"I missed you, Kayo-chin~" Rin crooned, pressing her forehead to her friend's and interlacing their fingers. The moon painted their silhouettes with a halo of light, white and pure and so, so soft.

Nico resisted the urge to roll her eyes. As much as she loved Kayo – Rin too, even – the two could be just a little too much at times.

"I missed you too, Rin," Kayo murmured back, easing her eyes shut as the two of them gently swayed to an unheard rhythm. For once, there was nothing but the sound of two girls humming away in delight.

Nico thought that visiting Rin with Kayo might just be one of her favourite things to do.

"You look happy today, Nicocchi," came that teasing, knowing voice. Of course, how could she forget the fourth member of their party?

Nozomi was somebody Nico had never quite managed to grasp – she seemed to fill a similar role for Rin as Nico did for Hanayo, but was nowhere near as nervous or fearful of getting caught as the shorter girl was. The two had kept their distance at first, accepting of the other's presence but not necessarily comfortable, and – well, look at them now. Nico almost felt relaxed standing next to the scarred girl, enough so that it was only the threat of being caught with the enemy that really unsettled her. It was despite that – or perhaps, because of that distance, Nico felt she could open up to Nozomi a little more than others.

"I don't get to see Kayo smile like that all that often, you know," she said, her words floating on the breeze. "I cherish these moments a little."

Nozomi giggled, nudging Nico with her shoulder.

"I feel the same," she said, before pausing as the shorter girl – just barely – winced. "…what's wrong with your arm?"

Nico hissed in frustration. Nozomi had always been far, far too observant.

"Nothing," she replied evenly. Of course, the scarred girl didn't buy it, and instead offered the shorter girl a pointed look.

"Really," Nico insisted, but Nozomi was already sliding her sleeve up her arm, gentle as could be but still bearing that intense, stern expression she only bore when she saw right through someone's bullshit. The shorter girl was privy to that look more than she'd have liked to admit.

"How did this happen?" the taller girl demanded – and she also never demanded things of people, too. Nozomi had always been too passive – noticing but only acting when she was really, really concerned. Nico sighed, relenting.

"Minami attack. I was delivering a monthly, and one of yours jumped me," she said, pulling her sleeve down and wincing at her own lack of care. "It's not a big deal. The guy who was with me is dead. All I got was a puny little gash."

Nozomi fell silent, looking away and rubbing her arm. She didn't need to say it – Nico knew. She felt it every time she looked at the scar on the other girl's face, that mutual guilt. It wasn't like they could apologise for it – they weren't the hands that carried the knife or the bomb – but they were friends, family, allies and acquaintances with the hands that did. If she could have bridged the gap, the shorter girl would have done it long ago. Nozomi deserved that much, but no. All she could really do was hope that the message came through in the half-smiles and gentle gestures and quiet laughter they shared in the small moments they came together for the sake of their kids. It was nice, but never, ever enough.

Nico chose to break the silence before it became miserable.

"Well, I should get going. Mama'll kill us if we're not back before eight," she said, stepping a little away, making the distance as tangible as it felt. Nozomi responded in kind, nodding her assent. Just like that, they'd break their bond.

"Hanayo," the shorter girl called, "Let's go. Mama will worry."

Nozomi called for Rin at the same time, and with a wistful glance over their shoulders and a quiet goodbye, the two younger girls peeled themselves from each other and tottered away.

Hanayo waved as Nico turned her bike on, clambering on behind and wrapping her hands around the shorter girl's stomach.

They'd done it a hundred times before, but forcing her younger sister to say goodbye to her best friend each time felt cruel.

"Did you have fun tonight, Kayo?" Nico asked, raising her voice against the wind.

"I did!" Hanayo said, the joy in her voice lifting the pitch of her words. "Rin told me about Eli's new tattoo – she's meant to take the plastic wrap off for good today, so she's really excited to see it. And Nozomi made her the most amazing ramen last night – I really wish I could have tried it."

Hanayo kept babbling away as Nico drove. Even if some of her words were drowned out due to the wind, the older girl felt like she could just listen to the other girl's voice and be completely happy. There was a special kind of happiness Hanayo reserved only for her meetings with Rin – and, well, what kind of sister would Nico be if she didn't try her hardest to see her little sister that happy as much as possible?

"I just wish," Hanayo said as they pulled up to their house, "I could see her as much as I liked."

Nico pursed her lips. It was something she always said after they met, and a sentiment Nico shared, but – there was nothing they could do about it. She said nothing as the two climbed the stairs, and Hanayo didn't push the topic any further. They'd go again, and that was as much as the two of them could do. It was just the way things were.

* * *

Rin was always buzzing in the aftermath of a visit with Hanayo, and today was no different – if anything, she was more excited than most days, jiggling so violently Nozomi had to swerve to not fall off of her bike.

"I just can't wait to see Eli's tattoo, Nozomi, it's so exciting!" she'd said, and Nozomi had to roll her eyes and ruffle the girl's hair and pretend that yes, seeing Eli's tattoo was definitely very exciting.

As soon as she stepped through the door, however, she saw it – an upturned white mountain lily, the stalk curving around her brow, the flower itself on her cheek. It was gorgeous, really, if you ignored the fact that it was on her _face,_ where everyone would see it. Nozomi resisted the urge to touch her own face.

"Eli!" Rin yelled, darting to the older girl's side and dancing about her in an attempt to get the best possible view of it. "It looks amazing!"

"Welcome home, you two," Eli said, leaning against the kitchen bench and grinning at Rin's antics. "I'm glad you like it," she said, a little more softly. "I was worried it was stupid."

"No, no," Rin said, giving her a double thumbs-up, "it looks really good! Ah – "

The younger girl's phone buzzed, and with a sheepish look she excused herself, darting upstairs. A call from Hanayo, undoubtedly – nothing else would make her disappear so quickly. Nozomi was a little disappointed, in all honesty. Rin making a fuss meant more moments to collect her thoughts, but now Eli watched her with anticipation, and she knew she had to say something to break the silence.

"Are you still mad at me?" Eli asked, avoiding eye contact – and god, Nozomi's heart sunk.

"No, no – " she started, moving to the taller girl's side and grasping her hands in her own before she could think better of it, "I'm not mad."

The sentence felt unfinished, though, as the blonde ran her thumb ever-so-gently over the shorter girl's knuckles, a tiny pout on her face. The lily stretched just a little bit to fit. She could feel Eli's breath on her cheek.

"You're not?" she breathed, pressing their foreheads together and staring at their hands, interlinked. "You've been distant ever since I first had it done. You don't need to lie for my sake."

Nozomi let the ghost of a smile trail past her lips before it vanished again, as she tried, little by little, to let herself relax.

"I just – " she began, and paused. "I thought – no, I – "

Nozomi didn't know where to start or where to stop, so she didn't. Instead, she squeezed Eli's hand, taking the time to find the words.

"People will stare at you," she said, finally. Eli tilted her head, looking her in the face at last. "They'll judge you."

"Doesn't really matter, does it? People stare at the blonde girl in the Minami jacket regardless of what's on my face," she said, stepping back and pulling Nozomi with her by the hands in some recreation of a dance. "Besides, if they stare at my face, then – good."

Nozomi frowned, refusing to look at Eli's lopsided smile. If she did, it'd be game over, and – she wasn't quite ready to let her win just yet.

"What's so good about being stared at?" she said, staring down.

"People will stare at both of us, rather than just you," she said, and – just for a moment, Nozomi weakened and looked at Eli's expression, all cheer and hope and adoration. She was pretty sure the girl's eyes were sparkling. It was just – unfair.

"That's not fair," the shorter girl protested, weakly, "You can't say that," but _ugh_ there was something so convincing about the way she smiled that made her think just maybe, just this once it'd be okay.

"I know I didn't talk to you about it, and I'm sorry," the blonde said, her smile vanishing as they spun about the kitchen, a foot forwards, a foot back in a slow, slow dance. "I just knew you'd shut me down if I said anything."

"What if you find another girl? How will you explain it to her?" Nozomi narrowed her eyes. "Tattoos are permanent, Eli."

The dancing stopped, abruptly. Eli ran her thumb over the shorter girl's knuckles again, with that same, melancholy expression she'd worn when they'd first started talking.

"You always worry about things like this," she muttered, before looking Nozomi in the eyes. "Do you want me to leave you?"

Eli was direct, definitely – but she was rarely that direct. Colour flushed in the shorter girl's cheeks.

"No," she said, thickly. It was true, she didn't. She wanted them to stay together forever and ever, until the end of the days, but she had to be realistic – one day Eli would find another girl who was smarter and prettier and didn't have a scar all up the left side of her face. "But – "

"Then, it's fine, isn't it? I wanted to do it. And now – " the blonde said, gesturing to her tattoo, " – we match."

"I'm sorry," she continued, pressing her lips to Nozomi's forehead. "I'll talk to you in future about things like this, but – when Kotori came up with the design, I knew I just had to. I know how you get about the scar sometimes – I just didn't want you to feel alone anymore."

"You're dumb," Nozomi said, but even if she still felt not quite happy, there was something warm in her chest that Eli managed to put there every single time they talked. It was stupid how much better she felt, but in the end, she did. "If you ever do something like this again, I will seriously get Tohya to beat you up."

"I guess I'd deserve it then," the taller girl said, smiling into the scarred girl's hair. "Do you like it, though? Honestly?"

Nozomi draped her hands around the blonde's neck, and spoke before pressing her lips to Eli's.

"I love it."


	4. Second Meetings

**hey guys it's me again**

 **oh boy what a month it's been. sorry for the late chapter but i guess you're all used to that by this point. uni started and my degree has been sapping up alllllll my time. that, combined with writer's block made progress super slow.**

 **oh, and there was the final live, where i cried for two days : ^). it uh. took me a few days to really uh, be able to touch love live without being super emotional about it.**

 **anyways, as always, i hope you guys enjoy this.**

 **as for replies to questions in the reviews - no, i don't have any intention of writing NSFW, sorry. it's just not something i feel i'd be able to do a good job of, and it doesn't really fit into the story anywhere, either. sorry to disappoint you :c.**

 **thank you very much for your reviews ! they give me life tbh. i always come back and read them several times between updates c:**

* * *

Although her father had insisted, Umi had politely declined his offer to send guards with her to see the Yazawas. She'd draw less attention that way, something she was sure they'd appreciate. Plus, she was perfectly capable of defending herself. She'd trained all her life to defend others.

To defend Maki, a quiet voice reminded her in the back of her head.

That was only natural, of course. Maki was the next-in-line of the precious Nishikino family, their sole advantage against the Minamis. As the smaller clan, every member counted – and that meant every wound was treated. Maki would be the lifeline that kept the Sonodas afloat in the years to come. It was her duty to protect her, and Umi was honoured to be the one to do so.

Still, she couldn't quite shake the words Maki had said to her on the balcony the day they'd met.

 _"I hope you don't take this as an insult, but I'd kind of hoped to have some agency when it came to who I'd marry."_

Umi had never expected to have a choice when it came to who she'd marry – it would be to whomever could bring the most benefits for the Sonodas, simple as that. It had always been – and always would be – a political decision. Her own opinion had never come into it, and yet –

"Oh, Miss Sonoda, please come in," came a wispy voice from an equal wispy-looking young girl. Umi snapped back to reality, nodding in appreciation as the girl led her inside the apartment. The interior was decidedly less grimy than the hallway, but all the same it was nothing like her own home. There were no chandeliers, no expensive furniture or ornate decorations. It was plain, but – Umi thought there was a sort of charm to that kind of appearance.

The girl she'd come to speak to was sitting at the table in the center of the room, fiddling with some kind of toy. Her arm was uncovered, baring the wound for all to see – although it looked red, swollen even.

"Miss Yazawa…?" Umi was hesitant to interrupt the girl's tinkering, but at the sound of her voice, the black-haired girl turned around, eyes widening in recognition.

"Nico," she said, gesturing to the seat beside her. "You wanted to see me, Sonoda?"

Umi nodded, sitting down and resting her hands in her lap. Back straight, shoulders back, just as she was taught. The girl in front of her was relaxed, legs crossed, but something in her expression seemed guarded. Umi couldn't help but spare a second glance at the puffy red skin on her arm, before catching herself. How rude. The black-haired girl rolled down her sleeve at the blue-haired girl's glance.

"My name is Umi Sonoda. I'm the heir to the Sonoda name," Umi began, but stopped as Nico threw her an unimpressed look.

"I know well who you are, Sonoda," she said, resting her chin in her palm. "Cut to the chase."

Umi raised an eyebrow at the Yazawa girl's lack of respect, but took it in her stride. At the stovetop to the side of the room, that same girl who'd answered the door looked rather troubled.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure my sister doesn't mean to be rude – " she started, but stopped as Umi waved a hand.

"It's not a problem," she said, and turned back to the older girl, who stared at her with raised eyebrows. Fearing she'd test Nico's patience if she delayed any longer, Umi 'cut to the chase'.

"I need to know what exactly the people who attacked you looked like," she said, bringing out her phone and opening the photo gallery. "We have a catalogue on certain Minami attacks that were more public. Can you identify your attackers from any of these photos?"

Nico took the phone, crossing her legs and leaning back in the chair. Her face showed little sign of recognition as she scrolled through the photos. Umi tried not to fidget in her seat. That'd just be rude, but – it wasn't exactly comfortable sitting, waiting.

Then, Nico's eyes widened, and she pointed to the screen.

"These three," she said, tapping the screen, "This tall one was the one who stabbed me, whilst the other two took down Nakazawa."

Suddenly – _knock knock._

Umi's eyes flicked towards the door. It was unlocked, so if another family member was returning home, they'd have no need to knock. That meant the person at the door was from outside the Yazawa family.

"I didn't know you'd invited visitors over," the blue-haired girl said quietly. Nico's eyes narrowed.

"Nor did I," she said, darkly, handing the phone back and striding towards the door. With only a split-second's hesitation, she reached for the door handle and yanked the door open, revealing –

Maki.

There was a moment's silence, before Maki raised an eyebrow, tilting her head and folded her arms.

"Uh, you called for me?" she said, tapping her foot against the ground, her eyes darting from side to side.

Nico frowned, and said, "I didn't call for you at all. What are you talking about, Nishikino?"

The way Nico stood positioned her arm away from the red-haired girl, and Umi clicked – the gash. It still hurt, probably. Perhaps it was even infected, but Maki would know better than herself.

Maki's cheeks flushed a shade pinker as she tapped her foot a little more intensely against the ground.

"What is this," she demanded, "Some kind of stupid joke to embarrass me?"

"No!" came the quiet voice of the girl that had welcomed Umi inside – Nico's younger sister. "I called you – please don't go."

Nico whirled around, narrowing her eyes.

"Hanayo? Why would you call her? Did someone hurt you?" she practically shouted. The lighter-haired girl withered under Nico's gaze, shrinking into herself.

"N-no," she whimpered, "but your arm needs attention. It looks infected."

Immediately, Nico's expression softened, though she moved to hold her sleeve down with her other hand.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," she said, "but I really, really don't need any medical attention, so I'm sorry for wasting your time, Nishikino, but – "

Maki cut the girl off, tearing Nico's hands apart and sliding up her sleeve. The red-headed girl's eyes widened at the sight of red, swollen flesh.

"This _is_ a joke," Maki muttered, glaring at the black-haired girl before raising her voice. "You should have contacted us as soon as it got infected. You're going to need antibiotics, definitely."

Nico scowled, avoiding eye contact.

"It's fine, alright? It'll heal on its own."

Maki took a step forward, unimpressed.

"It's absolutely _not_ fine. Are you and I looking at the same wound? Stop being stubborn and accept you need help."

Nico opened her mouth as if to protest further, but Umi decided to make her presence known.

"Yazawa," she said, her voice level. The shorter girl swallowed, thickly as she turned to face the Sonoda heir. "Listen to Maki. I noticed it too. Don't be foolish."

Nico deflated, scuffing her feet against the floor. Meanwhile Maki looked surprised at the very least, if not shocked.

"Umi?" she questioned, "What are you doing here?"

"I just needed to ask Yazawa a few questions about her attackers," she said, evenly. Maki tilted her head again though, and Umi thought – well – it wouldn't to tell her, would it? Maki was, after all, the betrothed to the Sonoda heir. It would make sense she'd be allowed to know a few of the finer details.

Umi stood close, leant into the girl's ear, and whispered, "We're planning a counterattack on the Minami that attacked Yazawa and Nakazawa. Naturally, I don't expect you to repeat this to Yazawa, or anyone. Not even your mother."

Maki nodded with wide eyes, watching as Umi stepped towards the door.

"Thank you, Yazawa, for your help. It was much appreciated," she said, bowing in thanks.

"And Maki," she added with a smile, before shutting the door behind her, "It was lovely to see you."

Once she was out the door, however, all Umi could think about was her impending meeting with Kotori.

Just last night, the fawn-haired girl had suggested they meet up again, in the same place – under the bridge, on the riverbank between Minami and Sonoda territory. It felt like they were tempting fate – god forbid any Minamis should see them and become aggressive – but at the same time, it also felt a little thrilling. Umi couldn't help but grin to herself at the thought.

The air outside felt refreshing to breathe in, after the musty staleness of the Yazawa home. Then again, it was rude to think such things, Umi scolded herself. Nonetheless, she couldn't deny the inherent _life_ found in breathing in the crisp, cool air. It chilled her lungs a little as she inhaled, but the sensation was somehow, a little pleasant.

The weather was overcast – and it was more often so than the girl would have preferred, but, well. Autumn was midway through, and winter was well on its way to arriving. At least it wasn't raining, she supposed. That was enough of a blessing to be pleased about. Still, she shivered as a gust of wind blew past her, chilling her through her coat. Really, she needed better winter clothing – she'd have to ask her father about something lined with fleece or fur.

Or perhaps a hat, she pondered, as she finally caught sight of the bridge she was to meet her new friend beneath. A hat would be practical, if perhaps a little improper for formal affairs. However, for mere casualwear, something like that could be quite nice.

All thoughts of winter wear were tossed aside though as the heir found the fawn-haired girl waiting for her with that same sketchbook and a pencil in her hands, idly drawing away. She sat amongst the dew-tipped grass, a beacon of baby pink amongst the dark green.

"You're early today," Umi commented, coming to crouch down beside the girl. Kotori's head flicked around as soon as she heard the other girl's voice, a smile spreading its way across her gentle pink lips.

"I wanted to be the first one here," the fawn-haired girl replied, sliding her pencil into the rings of her sketchbook. "I had to make sure the colours in my picture were correct before I showed you."

Umi's heart jolted – she'd been waiting to show her? How…how inappropriate but also – how _flattering_. The heir hadn't thought her companion had thought so highly of her – or perhaps, was she overthinking things? Perhaps Kotori was simply meticulous about her presentation.

Still, the words hung in Umi's mind. _Before I showed you_. She disliked the way it offset the rhythm of her heartbeat, causing it to skip and stutter and – ugh. How awful.

How _wonderful_.

The blue-haired girl pocketed her thoughts as the sketchbook changed hands, and – being very careful to only grip the edges, lest she damage the art work – Umi saw precisely what Kotori had been drawing when they'd first met, a week ago. Brilliant hues in watercolour painting the shades of the scene – from the dank rot of the bridge itself, to the dewey blades of grass in pale green, to the dirty water in the river and the family of ducks, brown and yellow and inbetween. Dirty colours, in anyone else's hands, but something about the way Kotori had painted them felt so clean, so precise, so pure.

"This is – this is incredible, Kotori," Umi fought her tongue for coherent speech, "I had no idea you painted as well as drew. The level of talent here is – it's amazing."

For a brief moment, the heir made eye contact with the girl she'd so heavily praised – bronze on gold – and then in her next breath flushed and turned her head away. How _shameless_ , how utterly inconsiderate to layer praise upon the girl as if she harboured a schoolgirl's _crush_. How unbecoming, how _awful_.

Despite this, Umi didn't miss the equally pink tinge in her companion's cheeks.

"My deepest apologies, Kotori," Umi breathed, "I didn't mean to overwhelm you like that. I was just so – so taken by your picture."

Umi counted four impossibly long seconds before Kotori worked up a response. She spent them attempting – failing – to look anywhere except at _her_.

"N-no, I – " the girl paused, breathed – another impossibly long second, Umi was getting flustered by now – "It made me happy that you liked my picture so much. It made me really, really happy."

Kotori had placed her hands together in front of her chest, forcing out a smile in an attempt to hide her blush.

Umi berated herself again for being so, so _foolish._ _Look at her_ , she thought to herself. _She's embarrassed. Look at what you've done._

"So, Umi," Kotori continued, "What kinds of hobbies do you have?"

A blatant subject change, but considering it was her fault in the first place, Umi did her best to accommodate.

"Me? Well, archery, for one," she began, though a little hesitantly. "I picked up a bow and arrow for the first time when I was seven, and since then, I've hardly put them down. Well," she paused, frowned, "That's how it used to be. I have many more duties to attend to at home, so I have less free time than I used to."

 _And I'd prefer to spend it with you_. The thought sprang to Umi's mind but she ignored it to the best of her ability.

"Not that meeting with you like this is taking up my free time!" she panicked, realising precisely what she'd said. "I enjoy this – enjoy meeting with you. Like this."

To Umi's surprise, Kotori laughed.

"You're cute, Umi," she giggled, ruffling the heir's hair with one hand, the other at her mouth to try and hide her smile.

How embarrassing, to be petted by an animal – yet somehow, it felt a little pleasant. Not that she'd ever say that aloud of course.

Umi's thoughts were interrupted by a white flash, and Kotori's phone suddenly in her hands.

"Aah, you really are cute, Umi," Kotori chuckled, showing the blue-haired girl her phone – on which, was an incredibly embarrassing candid of the heir herself.

"Kotori! Please delete that!" Umi panicked, grasping to reach for the phone, but finding nothing as the fawn-haired girl leapt to her feet and kept it well out of her reach.

"Wow, we're even the same height," the girl teased, but Umi frowned.

"Please, Kotori. Please delete it," she said, rising to her feet. Kotori paused – and they nodded.

"I'll delete it if you take a photo with me – a nice once, I promise."

Umi sighed. She supposed that was a better alternative than such an awfully embarrassing photo. So, she scuttled closer to Kotori's side – not too close of course, but their shoulders brushed and it took all of Umi's concentration not to flinch away in shame – and offered the camera her best smile.

Another click, and the deed was done. Then, Kotori tapped away at her phone, showing the screen to Umi.

"See? Photo deleted," she said, bouncing on her heels. "Now there's just a nice photo of the both of us."

"Thank you," Umi breathed, a wave of relief washing over her. It was – better than nothing. If anything, the second photo was actually a decent picture of the two of them. She'd have to ask for a copy, at some point – it would look good framed. A nice photo to capture a good memory.

Umi felt a little more at ease as the two talked the day away, without a care in the world.


	5. Small Secrets

**hey look it's me again, back with the nickmack y'all are thirsting for as well as some much-need kotohonk. hopefully the wait wasn't too long this time,, enjoy friends**

* * *

Nico stared at the redhead standing rather awkwardly in her living room, as if startled by whatever the Sonoda heir had whispered in her ear. She was curious, of course, but she'd well learned when it was time to press and prod for details, and when to keep her mouth clamped shut about the matter. Now was definitely, definitely the latter.

Still, though, it wouldn't do much harm to pry a few details about their relationship, would it?

"Huh," Nico said, doing her very best to look nonchalant (and probably succeeding) (hopefully), "Makes sense you know the heir, I suppose. You are one of the oh-so-precious Nishikino family."

It probably sounded antagonistic – and predictably, Maki stiffened, frowning and toying with a lock of hair. The black-haired girl couldn't help but let a wide grin spread across her lips. Getting that sort of reaction out of people was always so, so fun. She could have sworn she'd seen the other girl's cheeks pinken a little, but then again perhaps she could have been imagining it. Wishful thinking, and all that.

"Of course," she stated, simply, before pausing and reaching for the older girl's arm again. "Moving on, I need to – hey, stop _moving –_ "

Nico had begun shielding her arm with a twist of her body, almost instinctively, and had to force herself to unwind to – ugh – let the redhead inspect her arm. She caught the scowl on the other girl's face, and honestly, it lifted her spirits a little. No point in doing anything if you couldn't have a little fun with it, right?

"Honestly, if you don't stop resisting, I'll call Umi back here again," Maki said, gently easing Nico's sleeve up her arm again.

"Aww, gonna call your little bodyguard because one little patient is too much for you to handle?" Nico smirked, waiting for the cute response she was expecting, and – nothing. Maki stared deadpan, and pulled out her phone. A silent threat.

Nico swallowed.

"Fine, fine. I was just kidding around," she said, attempting to preserve her ego (it wasn't working) (it really wasn't).

The black-haired girl flinched as Maki attempted to lift her sleeve further – and stopped, sliding it back down.

"Take off your jacket," she commanded, and – god, why not – Nico complied, sliding her coat off of her shoulders and leaving it on the table, a sleeve hanging off. Wound exposed, she felt a little vulnerable as the Nishikino girl looked it up and down, all the gross, puffy red parts of it and everything else that was a little too disgusting to describe.

"I don't get why you wouldn't want this to be treated," Maki said, her eyes and voice softer, gentler and maybe even a little kinder now. She gently pressed down at the edges, and Nico did her best not to wince (she failed) (miserably, honestly). "It hurts, right? There's no need to be so dumb, I just want to help you."

Nico bit her lip – yes, true, it wasn't like the redhead had any ill intentions, but that wasn't _it_. She couldn't exactly describe it with Hanayo in the room, not loudly at least but – ugh.

"I have to be okay," she muttered, chewing at her lip now and narrowing her eyes, avoiding contact with Maki's. "For them, you know?" She gestured at Hanayo, and the very sleepy Cotarou who'd probably just woken up from a nap and wandered into the kitchen. Her little brother reached his arms up, whined, and Hanayo – good girl that she was – complied, letting him watch as she cooked.

Maki cast a glance at the two, still gripping the older girl's arm in her hand, tightly but gently.

"How many?" she breathed, turning her gaze back to the wound.

"Six, including me and my mother."

"No father?"

Nico shook her head, shrugged. No, he was long dead – died in the same fire that'd given her Hanayo as a little sister. The redhead's mouth formed a small o, and she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, sitting back.

"I need to check your other symptoms, just in case," the younger girl continued. Nico raised an eyebrow. No "I'm sorry for your loss", as most people said. Well – if she thought about it, wasn't Maki looking a little less comfortable now?

Maybe that sort of thing was so commonplace to her that words like that became meaningless. How often did you have to repeat a phrase before you stopped meaning it anyway? Besides, it wasn't her fault. She would've been far too young to help her mother at that age.

Nico pondered, briefly, why she felt so, so, _something_ that the girl hadn't set a string of token words to her, before tuning back in to the girl's questions.

"No, no vomiting, no fever."

"And no other wounds that might be infected?"

"No."

"Any other abnormal symptoms as of recently?"

"Not that I can think of."

Even if she were only young, the redhead really had the doctor thing down pat. Nico wondered how long she'd been helping her mother.

"Okay," Maki said, deflating into her chair and suddenly looking a lot less like a doctor and a lot more like a young girl. "That's good – it's probably just your arm then."

She tossed another look at Cotarou and Hanayo in the kitchen – he was burbling at his big sister, and the short-haired was giggling, poking his nose.

"Look," Maki said, her voice low and – almost friendly. Compassionate, even, maybe. "I'm sorry, I can't do anything about your father," and oh, there it was, "but I can help you stay well enough to look after your siblings. That's what you want, right?"

Nico nodded, and Maki turned to leave, but Nico hesitated, and reached for the girl's arm.

"You can't tell anyone, okay? Not your mother, not anyone," Nico said, and made sure to look the younger girl in the ears so she knew she was being totally, completely sincere (and she was) (she really, really was). Maki paused, considered it for a moment. "Especially not the Sonodas. It's bad enough that the heir knows."

"Isn't it a good thing if she knows? The Sonodas could help you," Maki pressed, but Nico shook her head, and –

"It's _not_ ," she hissed, squeezing the younger girl's arm. "I'm their protector. I'm the one who puts dinner on the table – well, except on weekends, when Mom or Hanayo cooks – but how am I meant to look them in the eye and say 'You'll always be safe at home with me' if I have to accept help from outsiders to keep us afloat?"

Not to the mention the shame of once again, having to front up at the Sonoda's doorstep and beg for spare change because Cocoa's worn through her only pair of sneakers again, and – she didn't ever want to go back to that. Not ever. She was older now, she could provide for her family and she _would._

Maki's face softened, and she squeezed Nico's good arm back.

"Okay," she said with a voice full of feathers, "I promise you I won't tell anyone. Mama's out at the moment visiting another flu case, so if I'm quick, I can run back, get you the medicine you need and be back before any notices."

Nico nodded, released the girl's wrist and watched as she vanished out the door, curls bouncing about her shoulders. Hanayo hummed away in the kitchen, and Kotarou toddled off back to his room, bored with cooking.

"See? It wasn't such a bad idea to call her after all," Hanayo called, checking the settings on the rice cooker. Nico rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay, you win, Kayo. You were right," she grumbled, but there was no malice to her words. The younger girl smiled a little bigger as she brought a spoonful of curry to her mouth to taste. "Almost ready?"

"Mm!" Hanayo mumbled through a very happy mouthful. "Just a few more minutes."

Then, the door opened, and breathing just a little heavily stepped in Maki.

"I'm back," she said, doing frankly a fantastic job of not sounding as tired as she probably was.

"Welcome back!" Hanayo said, instinctively, before freezing and flushing. The redhead's cheeks turned a fascinating shade of pink.

"Uh, thanks," the girl said, and it was all Nico could do to not laugh (okay, maybe she let out a snicker) (okay, maybe two). But really, who said thank you to being welcomed back?

Getting over herself, apparently, Maki pulled a small bottle out of the plastic bag she was holding, accompanied by a tiny, conical medicine cup.

"Here," she said, handing them to Nico. "You'll need to take one 15 millilitre dose of this twice a day, _with food_. Breakfast and dinner should be fine, but try to eat around the same time every day. It's strawberry flavoured."

It occurred to the black-haired girl that perhaps Maki was just a little bit considerate.

"Thanks, Nishikino," the shorter girl mumbled, and the redhead just blinked.

"You're welcome," she said, evenly, "It's my job, anyway. To help people, I mean."

Nico wanted to say it was more how the taller girl went out of her way to accommodate, but – well.

"Anyway, I need to check up on you in a week or so, just to make sure you're taking your medicine and that your infection is healing."

"Of course," Nico nodded. "I'm usually home on Sundays, so just come by anytime."

The redhead fidgeted, before pulling out her phone.

"Look, I, "she paused, "If you get injured or something again and you don't want to talk to my mother, or something, just text me, okay? Give me your phone."

Nico nodded (kinda dumbly) (well how else was she meant to react when a pretty girl asked for her phone number?), handing over her phone, and typing her own details into the other girl's.

"I should, um, get going," Maki started, but Nico stood, this time.

"Look, after what you've done for me, the least I can do is invite you to have dinner with us," the shorter girl said, and gestured to the girl in the kitchen. "Kayo's curry is really good."

Upon hearing her name, Hanayo turned on her famous puppy-dog eyes and gazed at the redhead. The black-haired girl could see the hesitation in her eyes, the search for an excuse, but –

"That'd be lovely, if it's not too much trouble."

Nico grinned. It hadn't exactly been what she'd expected, but – she'd just found an ally.

* * *

Really, it'd been far too long since she'd been to the Minami home, hadn't it? Honoka hummed as she strode down the path she knew so well – past the manicured trees and perfectly mowed lawn, all the way to the front door.

As soon as she stepped inside, one of the maids – Aikawa, was it? – welcomed her in, and smiled as the ginger proffered a basket of freshly-baked goods. A simple courtesy, or kindness even – not that Honoka minded, of course, because seeing the smiles on everyone's faces when they tasted her family's bread was more than enough thanks.

With that, the maid left her be, because they'd been friends for years and Honoka was well-trusted enough to wander the residence and make her own way to Kotori's room. Up the marble stairs, down the left corridor and the door right at the end of the corridor – and there she was.

"Honoka?" a voice called from inside, and with a "Hello!" the ginger let herself inside. Kotori was seating on the floor, clicking her knitting needles together. A long scarf, with a gentle black and white pattern lay draped across the floor, almost finished if Honoka knew anything about knitting. Which, well, she didn't but it looked almost finished!

"You're knitting again?" the baker's girl yawned, taking a seat opposite, "Don't you already have like, a bajillion scarves?"

Kotori giggled, stealing a glance at her a friend before focusing her vision once again on the scarf.

"It's not for me," she hummed, wiggling her shoulders a little as she worked. "It's for that new friend I told you about, the reeeeaaaalllly cute one, you know?"

Honoka nodded, impressed. It really was a pretty pattern, something geometric with circles made of out of squares. Ever since they'd been little, the taupe-haired girl had always been creating something, whether it be art, a scarf, a hat, or even her own dresses, sometimes. It was the kind of craft the ginger admired, in a way. Every about Kotori was so _her_.

Even still, if Kotori could make people smile through her art, then Honoka could make people smile through baking, no? After all, food was the best way to somebody's heart.

Speaking of food, she pulled a smaller container out of her bag, offering Kotori a small slice of cheesecake. Freshly made this morning of course, with only a little assistance from her parents, even! The taller girl dropped her needles at the sight of her favourite food, diving into the food with gusto. Really, nothing excited Kotori like cheesecake.

"So who's this friend of yours? Do I know them?" Honoka grinned, mumbling through a mouthful. Kotori shook her head, holding a hand to her mouth and swallowing before she spoke.

"I don't think so," Kotori said, pondering, before reaching for another slice of cheesecake. "She's pretty shy, so it'd be funny if you two were friends."

Honoka frowned – sometimes Kotori had a habit of being a just a little vague when it came to the details of things, and quite frankly she was having _none_ of that.

"Aw, come on Kotori, tell meeeeeee," the ginger whined, "You don't have a photo or anything?"

Kotori nodded, "I do, but – "

Honoka lunged for the girl's phone – sitting on her bed – but Kotori's reflexes were above and beyond hers, and all it took was a simple stretch before the phone was safely tucked away in the girl's bra, well out of Honoka's reach.

Not that the ginger was necessarily _averse_ to going to those sorts of extremes, but they'd been caught in compromising positions before, and Kotori had been the subject of gossip and rumours for days, and well – as much as she thirsted for juicy, juicy details, she wasn't about to submit her friend to that again.

"No fair, Kotori," Honoka pouted, doing her very best impression of a scolded puppy dog. "I just want to see if I know your cute friend…"

Kotori giggled again, gently patting the shorter girl on top of her head.

"I'm sorry, but I told you, she's really shy!" Kotori tapped away at her phone, then turned it to show Honoka a text message. "She texted me right after we took it to make absolutely sure I didn't show anyone. It's kind of charming, if a little silly."

Honoka read the name in the contact list, and froze, momentarily.

 _Umi._

"So her name's Umi…?" Honoka questioned, and her friend took on a bashful expression.

"O-oops," Kotori mumbled, shoving a third slice of cheesecake in her mouth, "She didn't want me to tell anyone her name either but…it can't really hurt, right? It's just you, Honoka."

The ginger nodded, but – well. It couldn't be right? Umi wasn't that rare a name. It was just a strange, strange coincidence. There were far too many Minami for her to personally know, and it wasn't like she even knew the names of everyone who came to the back of the bakery. Surely – surely not.

Probably.

Definitely not, right?

Yeah, definitely, definitely not.


	6. Rules to Break

**thank you for all your reviews and comments ! they're all so super lovely and i really appreciate each and every one c:. also it is 2am and i have no regrets. this chapter was so hard to write qwq,,, i'm not great at rin perspective nor am i 100% on how i pulled this chapter off but we're trying new things, so i hope you all enjoy**

* * *

"Rin, get out of bed."

Rin let out an echoing sneeze as she woke to a patient but stern voice, huddling herself under her blankets in denial that she heard anything at all.

"I heard you sneeze, Rin. Lunch is in fifteen minutes, so get out of bed before I get Nozomi to drag you out."

The voice, despite Rin's best efforts, seemed utterly determined to remove her from the warm, comforting embrace of her bedsheets. She pulled a face, poking a toe out, but instantly retracted it when she felt the cold air nip at it. No, she definitely, definitely was staying riiight here where it was warm and cosy and –

"I don't hear you moving."

"I'm moving!" she yelled back, although she most absolutely definitely was _not_ doing anything of the sort, thank you very much. Autumn was like a cup of ramen left out too long – cold, soggy and endlessly disappointing. She could see the storm cloud-filled sky from where she was snuggled up. If it rained later, that'd just make things worse. She only got one Saturday a week – the least she could be allowed to do is sleep in a little past midday.

Well, looking at the clock, maybe 2pm was a little more than a little past midday, but who could blame her for wanting to sleep in? The outside air was so cold, and her bed was so warm, and she was still tired from a whole week of stupid, boring school. Sure, it made Nozomi and Eli happy that she went, but everything there was so hard and dumb and _pointless_. If she could just prove to them she could be tough and strong and cool then she wouldn't need to go, right? All she needed to do was –

"Got you!"

A familiar voice cackled as Rin felt a rush of frigid air up her back, her ankles seized by two hands as they slowly dragged her, inch by inch, away from her cosy, warm sanctuary.

"You're a demon! A demon!" Rin howled, grappling for something, _anything_ to hold on to, to aid her in her struggle to avoid getting completely pulled out of bed, but – _the bedpost._ She wrapped her arms around it, clung to it for dear life as the monster holding her feet pulled her harder, gripped her tighter until Rin was sure she was about to break. It cackled again, brushing its fingers over the soles of the girl's feet until she nearly kicked it in the face in an attempt to escape but alas, its grip was too strong, and it kept pulling and pulling, and Rin didn't think she could hold on much longer, because her hold on the bedpost was weakening and –

Rin released her grip on the bedpost, and the two of them flew backwards, crashing into the bookcase with an almighty thump. Books toppled to the ground, falling on the two of them. Nozomi rubbed her head gingerly, wincing but grinning despite it.

"Looks like I might have gone a little too far this time," she said, winking. "Don't tell Eli, alright?"

"I can hear the noise the two of you are making perfectly clearly from down here."

Nozomi poked her tongue out, clasped her hands together as she turned back to Rin.

"Looks like we're both in trouble now," she said. "What are we going to do, Rin?"

"Go back to bed," Rin mumbled, tugging at her duvet and curling up on the floor.

"Oh? Do I have to drag you downstairs, too?" the other girl started, rising to her feet and making grabby motions with her hands, throwing in a sinister cackle just to drive it home. Rin froze, turned around.

"N-no, that won't be necessary," she said, pressing her lips together and finally – regretfully – exposing herself to the brutal winter chill. The girl couldn't help but let out a shiver, rubbing her arms. Nozomi had already begun picking up the fallen books, and, well – they were Rin's books anyway, so how could she not help? Not that she could see the titles of the books all that well, but it wasn't like they'd been in any particular order in the first place.

A clean(ish) floor later and two contact lenses later, Rin stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen, greeted by the tantalising scent of omelette, fresh from the pan. Eli's omelette was always incredible – some special recipe handed down to her by her grandmother, the girl would say with pride.

"You're still in your pyjamas," Eli sighed, dishing her up a plate. Rin weakened, offering a (forced) Cheshire grin.

"You only said to get out of bed," she said, tucking into her breakfast with utter gusto.

"Well, you'd better get changed right after breakfast. Make sure to wash your face, too," the other girl rolled her eyes, smiled as Nozomi appeared in the kitchen from upstairs and kissed her forehead.

Breakfast, as always, was a quiet family affair. Rin sat next to Nozomi, and Eli sat opposite the two of them. It'd always been like that – even before Rin had been an Ayase, the two older girls had sat opposite. She would've thought they'd have wanted to sit together, but Eli had mentioned that if she sat opposite, she got to look at the two people she loved most in the world, so she preferred. Nozomi had gone utterly red, and even Rin had felt maybe just a little embarrassed.

"Nozomi and I will be out for work until midday or so," Eli said, in between the clinking sounds of knives on forks. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

Rin nodded, mouth full of egg.

"I'll leave you a little money to go down to the bakery and get something, if you'd like," Nozomi offered, nudging the girl with her elbow.

Again, Rin nodded, tried to speak but her mouth was still full of egg so any words came out as a gurgle and a small piece of omelette fell back onto her plate.

Eli burst out laughing, whilst Nozomi held back a snigger and covered her mouth. Rin swallowed her mouthful, thought to protest but couldn't think of anything to say, so sunk lower in her chair and shovelled another forkful of omelette in her mouth.

"Sorry, Rin," Eli said, eventually, still grinning a little, but the grin vanished when she checked her watch. "Ah, Nozomi, we're late. Minami'll be mad."

Nozomi took on a fearful expression – and Rin hadn't seen much of the Minami head, so she couldn't say herself, but from what the older girls had told her she was the kind of person who would never outwardly show her anger, only remain passive and punish you later. It was a little chilling to think about.

"Sorry to make you clean up, Rin," Nozomi said, with a kiss on the forehead from each, they left, eggs still on their plates. Rin took the opportunity to have a second (and third, haha yes) breakfast, albeit alone. It wasn't like this sort of thing was all that rare – sometimes Eli would have to leave early for a meeting, and it'd be just her and Nozomi fooling around, or maybe Nozomi would be out visiting her parents early in the morning, and her and Eli would cuddle up on the couch and watch bad early-morning TV until they came back.

She hummed as she washed up the dishes, dreaming about what she might get from the bakery – probably manjuu again, but they'd been offering more Western treats recently, so maybe she should try one of those? Then again, if she got something Western, there might only be enough for one, and more was always better, so…

Finished with the dishes, it wasn't much more than a hop, a skip and a jump out the front door (locking it behind her, of course) and into the frigid autumn air. She'd opted for her favourite beanie – a cute little thing with cat ear-like bumps on either side, a gift from Nozomi on her 14th birthday, grabbing it before she scooted down the stairs to leave the house.

Still, it was really, _really_ unnecessarily cold. Sure, maybe it was only 15 degrees, but that was still _freezing_. The clouds above were still grey and miserable, but it hadn't been forecast to rain according to Nozomi – and sketchy as she made herself out to be when it came to predictions, she was probably right.

"Oh, little Rin!" came a voice from her side, barely halfway down the street from her house, but it was familiar and warm.

"Tohya!" she said, darting up to the man for a brief hug and a gentle knock on the head, grinning wide. "I haven't seen you in aaaaaages! Why haven't you come visit?"

Tohya had been Nozomi's sponsor up until she'd been patched – so naturally, the two of them were close, and he'd always been kind to Rin. His gruff-looking face, rugged facial hair and large build would have made him look intimidating if not for the gentle smile he wore when he thought people weren't looking at him.

"Well," he scratched his head, looking sheepishly down at the ground, "Ayase isn't exactly fond of me, so I think I've been officially uninvited. What about you, though?" he asked, adjusting the girl's beanie. "You haven't been to the clubrooms in weeks."

Rin pouted, pulling down at her beanie.

"Eli and Nozomi don't want me to be a prospect," she said, scowling. "They just say 'go to school' like any other normal kid."

She scuffed a foot against the ground, sighing and hunching her shoulders over.

"I just want to be a part of the gang, you know?" Rin continued, throwing up her hands, "I don't want to go to stupid school. I want to go on deliveries and ride motorbikes and all that cool stuff."

Tohya let out a hearty chuckle, patted her shoulder a little less gently than usual.

"Being a Minami is more than just looking cool, little Rin," he said, "It's dangerous, and once you're in, it's hard to get out – but you get a loyal band of brothers to look after you in return."

Rin huffed, shoving her hands into her pockets. Yeah, she knew it was dangerous, but that's what made it so exciting! Zooming around on her very own bike, gun at her hip, knife in her boot, a leather jacket – it was just so _cool_. Nozomi and Eli didn't get it, they'd never wanted to be more than boring, normal people, so of course they couldn't understand. But one day, just they wait, she'd be the coolest and strongest Minami _ever_. She'd get to go on assignments all by herself, take down evil, cruel Sonodas – not Nico or Kayo-chin, of course, they were good, nice Sonodas – and go drinking out with the boys at the clubroom. Then, one day, she'd swept Kayo-chin off her feet and whisk away her away, and they'd have a nice little house just like Nozomi and Eli, and they could finally be together. Even if she got injured during a fight, she'd just have a cool scar like Nozomi!

"What're you doing this close to the border, anyway, Tohya? You're never up here," Rin asked, rocking back on her heels. Tohya glanced either way before stepping closer, leant down to whisper in her ear – not that there was anyone around anyway, but maybe it was some kind of secret?

"Yuu and a couple of the boys and I are planning for a second invade on the Minamis – revenge for Yuu's sister," he said, looking away. "We're heading into the Sonoda's side of town in half an hour or so."

Rin had to suppress a gasp.

"Can I come?" she asked without hesitation, fiery enthusiasm burning in her eyes. Tohya took a step back, shook his head and waved his hands.

"Ayase would murder me, little Rin," he said, "No can do."

"Come _on_ , Tohya," Rin pouted, working up her best puppy-dog eyes and pleading voice. "Eli wouldn't even know if we're quick about it. What kind of invade? Vigilante justice on the one who attacked her?"

Tohya frowned, wrinkled up his nose, scratched at his neck.

"We got an address for where the prick who stabbed her, so probably just some broken windows and a couple of bruises," he admitted, "Nothing like last time's mess."

Rin had heard about Yu's accidental stabbing – had jumped the guy, realised he had the wrong address and panicked. The man had resisted, and the girl with him cowered in the corner after catching a gash to the arm. She hoped the man was alright.

"Then if it's nothing big, I can come, right? You can sponsor me, just like you promised!" the girl said, tugging at his hands. Tohya looked conflicted – but after a brief stare down, a few seconds at most, he softened.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" he sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Nope!" the girl chirped, grinning hugely. Tohya huffed, but tugged her along by the hand.

"Come on then," he relented, and Rin leapt for joy, darting forwards to tag along at his heels.

Their meeting place wasn't far away – a hop, skip and a jump away from the border, not too close, not too far. A group of boys and men waited for them, chatting and laughing.

"Oi, Tohya, who's this?" one of them sneered, looking down at Rin, who suddenly felt very, very small.

"This is little Rin. I'm sponsoring her, so go easy, alright?"

A couple of the boys cheered, clapping her on the back as they came to group in the center. The tallest man – Yuu, maybe? – stood with his hands on his hips.

"Alright, you all know the drill. Follow me, smash him up a little, but don't go overboard," he said, his voice overpowering and so, so loud. "Bail if too many of them show up – we don't want to make a scene, otherwise the Head will slit my throat herself."

Rin nodded, following along as the group moved out, over the river and onto the other side. She had to take two steps for each of the men's, hurrying along as best as she could to match their pace. Some of the boys had knives, but only Yuu seemed to have a gun. A little disappointing, but it wasn't like they were intending to seriously hurt someone – just rough him up a little.

A few people looked at them as they passed them on the street, but nobody seemed to recognise them – few even gave them so much as a second glance, most preferring to huddle tighter into their scarves. In the excitement of what was about to happen, Rin had forgotten completely about how cold it was – and even as she remembered, she didn't shiver. What was to come was just too exciting!

Ten minutes since they'd crossed the river they'd found the house they were looking for, and slowed their pace, making sure nobody was around – they weren't exactly in an open street, having headed down a cul-de-sac, so maybe it wasn't that worthwhile, but – ah. A man in one of the houses stared at them, pulled out his phone, and Rin felt a shiver go down her spine.

"Yuu," she tugged, darting up the leader, "I think there's – "

"Quiet, kid. Just follow my lead and don't get in our way," he said, pushing her to the side. Rin nodded, and swallowed thickly. Anxiety bubbled in her stomach. What if – what if?

"Alright boys, let's go. Quick and easy, then we get out, capiche?" Yuu said, taking the gun out of his pocket and flicking off the safety.

The men cheered, and Rin followed behind Tohya, wordlessly. The front door was shut by an inside lock, so a quick whack of the baseball bat sent the glass shattering, spilling to the ground in a cascade of sharp edges, and in went all of them, taking, grabbing, smashing anything too heavy to carry in their hands. It all felt a little much – Rin stumbled from side to side, breathing a little heavier now, and then –

 _Bangbang._

A gunshot sounded, and immediately she heard Yuu swear, shout at them, "Bail! Bail!"

The boys fled the house out the back – the front was a swarm of people she didn't know, with guns and knives and scary, scary faces – and where was Tohya? She couldn't find him in the swarm, couldn't get out fast enough before a bullet whizzed past her cheek and _oh god_ couldn't help but flinch, stumble because where was Tohya, where was he, why was she all alone, why are people shooting at her and –

A sweaty hand clamped over her mouth, and Rin's pulse quickened, couldn't even gasp for breath.

She struggled, fighting and kicking back, but to no avail.

"Looks like we caught ourselves a Minami, boys."


End file.
